Caramel Apple of My Eye

They’re impossible to miss. Deeply golden orbs of various colors with what appears to be a chopstick pierced through their centers. For those who grew up with this childhood treat (me!) catching sight of these is like zipping back in time when kiddie birthday parties included bobbing for apples, decorating your own cookie, and of course eating those caramel apples, which to my mind, are the original dessert fondue. Sticky, chewy, sweet, and crunchy, it’s a treat that can’t be beat, especially now that I’m all grown up and I have a bigger mouth to take more satisfying bites.

“Most people who stop by ask me “Is that a doughnut?” So says SanFo treats owner, Rochelle Santiago, the purveyor of these caramel apples. “A few times people think it’s cake, then doughnuts. They think it’s new but it’s not. So I have to be in the store answering questions like how is it made? and why is it like that? But for the people who know about it, it’s a nostalgic treat for them.”

Rochelle grew up in San Francisco and held a job at Pier 39 making apples at the Embarcadero. Surprisingly, she would look for the sweet every time she’d come back home to Manila but wouldn’t find any. “The closest one I found was in Enchanted Kingdom where they sliced an apple and put caramel sauce on top of it,” she remembers. “But that’s not a caramel apple. So last December I decided to make a few and then I gave it to my fiancé [now her husband] to bring to work. So the 35 apples became I don’t know, 5,000 in 2 weeks. And I didn’t think anyone would order!” She exclaims.

The caramel apple is not a new invention. They were invented in the 1950’s by Dan Walker, a Kraft Foods sales representative, who used the company’s popular caramels to come up with an ingenious treat. SanFo Treats makes its own caramel from scratch, using the same recipe that Rochelle used at Pier 39. Tweaking it a little to allow for Manila’s humidity (moisture in the air prevents candy from hardening), it’s a delicious caramel made with butter and sugar and cooked to a particular temperature. “The apples are dipped thrice in caramel.” Rochelle explains. And speaking of apples, she tells me that she goes through the apples one by one, tapping each one to check for hardness and shine. “I choose the apples myself. The rock-hard ones are the best. Our caramel apples can stay at room temperature for four to five days but after that, stick it in the fridge. It’ll be good for as long as the apple is good.” While traditional caramel apples are made with Granny Smiths or Red Delicious, Rochelle prefers Fuji apples because they’re not too sweet or too tart and they’re juicy too. She readily admits that Pinoys don’t seem to be too fond of green apples.

Aside from the regular caramel-dipped one which purist me is a fan of, other flavors flying off the shelves are the apples with chocolate sprinkles, the marshmallow boulder, black forest with cherry, chummy bears, snow gecko, goldfish, peanut butter, and the cosmopolitan(pictured above) which is dipped in chocolate and then drizzled with a chocolate in a contrasting color. There are also apples with candy bar chunks of Butterfinger or Reeses’s Pieces. “There’s something new every day … we offer at least 50 varieties,” Rochelle replies, her eyes lighting up when I ask her if she ever runs out of ideas. “These are personalized designs. I come up with flavors everyday, and I haven’t thought about what wouldn’t go with an apple,” she avers.

Rochelle also accepts custom orders for personalized apples. Basically, if you can dream it up, she’ll make it for you. “Just give me a budget per apple along with the color and theme, and I can do it.” She tells me that she recently made a Dora the Explorer-themed caramel apple upon the request of a customer who wanted some for her daughter’s birthday party. Orange and pink sprinkles with lavender and pink chocolate, Rochelle “… liked it so much that I put it in the store and called it Princess.” Another order that’s now a store favorite is the Charley Brown, dipped in chocolate and decorated with yellow sprinkles, it uncannily looks like the shirt that the delightful cartoon character wears.

SanFo Treats’ caramel apples are P50-P80, depending on flavor. They’re relatively affordable, whereas if you buy them in the States, they’re $5 each. Also available are other candy novelties: Chocolate covered marshmallows (P25) and frozen bananas (bananas dipped in chocolate and then frozen) in various flavors (P30/P35/P40). Rochelle describes one frozen banana that has caramel in it: “… caramel that is drizzled around the banana and then we dip it in chocolate. So the effect is you eat the banana, you taste the banana and the chocolate and then you have this chewy candy as a treat after you eat the banana. I thought it would be hard but it became chewy. I like it.” Sounds like I’d like it too. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to spot the Rice Krispies treats (they aren’t available often), cereal rice puffs bound with melted marshmallow, another kiddie treat that I’ve only seen in Wheatberry.

I have to ask, “So what do you say when people ask ”˜how do you eat a caramel apple?’ ” Rochelle chuckles since she believes the answer is all too obvious. But she gamely replies, “Since we’re here in the Philippines and some people think it’s too messy to eat, I ask if they want it sliced. Otherwise, hold the stick, flip it over and bite. I love it when somebody comes over and grabs it by the stick and walks away eating it. That’s the greatest advertising ever!”

Rochelle has done exceedingly and impressively well for herself. Three stores in three months, all in excellent locations. She’s incredulous remembering how she just started SanFo Treats last November with her household team of two. Now she has a team of 12 that makes 600 apples a day! I’m impressed with her admiration for the apple. “Every apple goes through me. I put the final chocolate and the drizzles, that’s me. I dress them up before it goes to any store,” she says proudly. We talk a lot about how she loves what she’s doing and the word “passion” pops up frequently, as it often does when I interview people in the food industry. Rochelle talks of one day opening a café with “… those fudge bars that you cut up and weigh; selling a few deli products from San Francisco; serving hot chocolate, tea and coffee, and of course the apples. I’m in love with the product. I don’t consider it a business, it’s something that I’m doing that I love.”

Comments

Finally! Caramel apples are my favorite, semi-healthy (at least you’re getting a fruit in with dessert), and a messy, gooey treat. I’ve even passed up ice-cream for caramel apples while in the US, because I knew I couldn’t get them here unless I made them myself. I do prefer the tarter Granny Smith though, the tartness and crispness of the green apple cuts the sugariness of the caramel.

I think her idea of a cafe is a good idea, taffy and fudge, with caramel apples and chocolate bananas, Ghirardelli hot chocolate, strong coffee (Peets!), some sourdough bread with havarti and decorate it with pictures of San Francisco!

oh my god. thank you for discovering these! i’ve missed the yummy candied apples i used to devour as a kid in australia. they were much more simple than these SanFo creations (tart granny smith apples dipped in sweet and crisp caramel). thanks for the tip!

When I first saw this in Megamall, my sister and I were so ecstatic to find this childhood treats. (wide eye, twinkling eyes, while drooling) I agree with Mila the granny smith apples provide better contrast to the sweetness of the caramel.
There was a caramel apple stand about 4-5 years ago also in megamall in front of national bookstore where is the plaza now(I think the owners were Australians). I was so disappointed when they closed down. Now everytime we’re in Megamall my sister and I would be like, quick buy some we dont want them to run out of business too, do we. heheheh

I don’t like it and very much disappointed. I don’t know how this is supposed to be – should the whole caramel outer layer fall off with one bite? My problem with this is that. I like my fruits cold – but the apple here got so warm (not the apple crumble or apple pie warm) but more of like being seated too long hence the warmth has built inside. This left the apple stale – lost its freshness. Me thinks it might be the wrong variety of apple used.

It’s a good attempt to eat guiltless but the attractiveness can not encompass the poor taste.

i tried it at fun ranch and it was horrible! the whole caramel outer layer fell off, it was such a mess. the caramel was icky like gum. dont recommend this. i hope they find a way to fix this problem, i love apples and caramel, but this, was just… ugh!

I chanced upon these apple confections for the first time when I saw their Glorietta store last night (my 6-year-old son was calling my attention to what he thought were giant lollipops). Little did I know it would be fortuitous leading to my reading your latest article, Lori (read on).
When I found out what they really were, I was quite ecstatic – when I was younger I used to make caramel apples using the Kraft recipe. But then I noticed that the display is not refrigerated – I also like my apples chilled – and the chocolate coating seemed like compound chocolate (but then again I wouldn’t be surprised considering their pricing).
Nevertheless I was still adamant to give it a try if only to satisfy my curiosity as well as my son’s badgerings. However, what really got my goat was the countergirl’s seeming lack of training in customer-oriented service. When I inquired about what apple they use, she quipped, “Red apple, siyempre.” (It was her companion who pitched in that it’s Fuji apples.) When I was asking about the coating of what I think was the Marshmallow Boulder, she half-snapped at me, “Marshmallow yan.” When I asked for the classic caramel apple, she surly replied, “Kanina pa ubos.” That finally pissed me off. I pulled my son aside and just promised to buy him something else (I ended up buying for him a box of assorted Cheesecake Melliza brownies and bars). This employee may just be having a bad day, but she has no business being there with her cranky attitude. I guess I will have to check out Sanfo Treats some other time – hopefully with a more courteous staff by then.
Paging Rochelle Santiago.

@Raein: Thanks in advance for the favor – glad to be a source of motivation for you to give crabby salespeople their comeuppance. He he he…
Actually if it wasn’t for my son’s presence (I wouldn’t want him to witness Daddy snarling at a stranger manning a counterful of his eye candy of the moment, go figure), I would have given that girl quite an earful to jolt her back to her senses (being a foodcart entrepreneur myself). I just consoled myself with the thought that denying them sales at that time (I would have bought at least half a dozen since we were meeting up with my wife and other son for a movie later that night) would be a more gracious counter-offense. That is, until Lori posted this article. Like I said, it was fortuitous.
At any rate, I still think their creations are worth checking out inspite of my experience and the quite unsavory feedback on the product quality posted by others.
Again paging Rochelle Santiago – your store staff might need some cage rattling.

my boyfriend has been raving about the caramel apples that he never fails to buy in the states. :o) thats why he was so happy when we saw this new kiosk in megamall selling not only plain caramel apples but loads of them in different toppings as well! of course he just had to buy one to see if its just as good as the real thing and i must say, sanfo’s caramel apples didnt fail him. it made me a convert too!! 😉

Hello!!! this is Rochelle, thank you so much for reading Lori’s article, thank you for posting your comments, First off, sorry to the people that commented about the staff, I’ll make sure to fix this. Also, to the people who love the products… Yipee!!! that surely makes my day and work a lot easier, I started this business because of the love of the product, it may not be perfect but at times that we get negative feedback, we really really do something about it. Am not one to sleep soundly at night whenever I know there is something wrong with the product or staff. To the ppl that did not like how it tastes like, I hope you try it again, other flavors might change your mind, regarding the apples, we also make use of granny smith apples, just text me atleast 3 days in advance and ill have them ready for you. The Fuji Apple, can be a bit neutral in taste at times, its not always super sweet, I like using them because theyre juicy and easier to bite into, the skin isnt that thick, I hope I provided some insight. Also about the unsold apples… we deliver 2x in one day to the stores, it is i rare that we have left overs, if we do, we throw them away. simple as that. normally its about 2 or 3 pcs only. but everyday, we make new ones.
As pained as I am at some of the comments, well, hey, that life and that is business, I have been told that you cannot please evryone, but, I will surely try! I hope that just shows everyone our commitment to our products . Thanks again to everyone!

I never liked caramel apples, because:
1. difficult to eat. I can’t even bite off a plain apple, mom always has to slice it for me, much less a caramel covered one.
2. Growing up with the humidity made #1 more of a problem.
3. I hardly saw these when I was growing up in the islands.
4. messy.

BUT! I love love LOVE white chocolate covered caramel apples dipped in cinammon sugar. These are known as “Apple Pie” caramel apples. I first found them at the famers’ market at work about 1997. They are first dipped in caramel, then white chocolate, then in the cinammon-sugar. She never sold them in the summer because of the heat, and they were pretty cheap at about $3 each. Even though the weather in southern California was mild, I always preferred to chill the apples and slice them in wedges. This allowed for the caramel, white chocolate, and cinammon to STAY on the apples and to be evenly distributed. It was much much neater.

I haven’t seen them lately. I’ve seen other types of chocolate and caramel apples at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, but they are pretty pricey at about $7-8 each. They have stuff covered with crushed candy bars or cookies, but my favorite is still the simple “Apple Pie”.

The shelf life of these apples were pretty long, but the weather here in California is much drier and cooler than there in the Phil. Maybe SanFo can sell them chilled? I know chilled caramel can be hard, but maybe with the heat and humidity, the caramel will be perfect and won’t slide off the apple.

Please work on the customer service and educating the sales people. This is always a rant about shopping in the Philippines. Either the customer service is most excellent or at the extreme opposite. The worst is when they say “Hindi ko alam” or when they just stare at you blankly.

I concur with i’lltaketwoplease in regard to chilling the apples to make them more scrumptious. Perhaps you can offer some that are chilled, while still offering some that are “unchilled.”

As far as customer service is concerned, might I suggest hiring an undercover shopper to purchase from your business establishment? This will afford you the opportunity to clandestinely assess the customer service skills of your staff. In addition, requiring them to wear name tags will assist in identifying them to your customers.

Its great to see that people are using the comments section to not only provide their honest feedback about the product but also to offer great suggestions. I know that the above suggestions will help Sanfo a great deal. Thanks i’lltaketwoplease and GoWarriors!

Again, I commend Rochelle for being brave in introducing such a temperamental treat to the pinoys.

I wish I was there to try the delicious treats. I guess I have to wait unti December for our vacation until I can try the caramel apples, frozen bananas, rice krispy treats and caramel smores!!!

I have learned that feedback, whether considered negative or positive, is always positive. It’s a great way to learn and grow. Often, another set of eyes or taste (all senses) can offer valuable feedback that can serve as tools to improve. I also think there’s always a nice way to deliver information that may be deemed negative, and that offerin suggestions or solutions is more productive.

I agree that Rochelle should be commended for taking a risk, AND for acknowledging the comments and for owning what is going on with the customer experience. I found that Rochelle was open to the comments and graciously handled them in a very professional manner.

Good luck Rochelle and SanFo treats! How about breadbowls with clam chowder?

I passed by this kiosk on my way to Toy Kingdom and was really excited. Wow Caramel Apples. But was so disappointed when they didnt have plain CARAMEL APPLES. all were covered with sprinkles or colored chocolate and icing and i just wanted it plain apples with caramel without nuts the way it is supposed to be.
I hope they will sell plain caramel apples only. Why are they called CARAMEL APPLES if they dont have the original Caramel apple. the Original Caramel Apple should be with or without nuts and they didnt have that. Too bad.

I know for a fact that Sanfo does sell plain Caramel apples as well as decorated ones.

My husband and I often go to San Francisco particularly the Pier where they are sold in abundance and what we see are plain Caramel apples or the ones with various toppings like coconut, nuts, chocolate chip. The Caramel apples here also vary in toppings but not as pretty as Sanfo makes it.

Perhaps they ran out of the plain ones that day or possibly they offer different types of Caramel apples in different locations depending on the demand.

I finally got to taste Sanfo Treats’ creations last Sunday when my family and I passed by their Megamall store. As I’ve said in my previous posts, their products can be quite good – and I was proven right. Plus the fact that the salesgirls in that outlet are more accomodating made it even more worthwhile for me this time around. And talking to Rochelle about my possibly availing of their party packages somewhat convinced me that her vision is indeed here for the long haul.
By the way, THEY DO SELL PLAIN CARAMEL APPLES, or at least when we were there at Megamall. We got a couple (plus two of the fancy variants) – my wife who is not much of a dessert junkie finished off a whole piece.
More power to your venture, Rochelle!

I, like the owner Rochelle, am originally from San Francisco and was delighted to find the “San Fo Treat” here in Manila. I think it is about time!! Although I have been accustomed to the tart Granny Smith variety commonly found in the States, I was just as pleased to taste the Fuji variety in a caramel apple. It is quite delicious and very juicy indeed. I also like the different innovations on the apple…my favorite is the black forest…chocolate and caramel make an excellent combination!!

I like the product so much, I have been giving them away as client gifts. People are so delighted to receive such a unique thank you.

Here’s an insider tip for those of you new to caramel apples: Buy a few and take them home. Stick them in the fridge and about 1 hour before you plan to eat, take it out to allow the caramel and candy to thaw just a bit. Slice the apple into about 6 pieces and serve to your family and friends. I did this the other night and cut up a few varieties to share. Of course, they were eaten up in a flash. It is quite good chilled and will least up to a week. I agree that eating an apple off the stick can be messy, that’s why even in the States I always had mine sliced. It is possible to request this at the San Fo stores too!

i was just in g4 the other week when i stumbled on these eye candies… i’m not much of a sweet tooth, but i just had to get one of those apples, seeing how yummy they looked like… curiosity… i sure made the right decision! the apple with the melted marshmallow and crushed Oreos ALL OVER… to die for! next time, i’ll try the ones with butterfinger!

Before Sanfo Treats came out with these caramel apples. They were already available here. I’ve been buying these creations since last year. I bought caramel apples last week from Sanfo Treats and sad to say they didn’t taste as good as the ones that I bought from Czarina’s Gourmet Apple. Czarina’s uses the finest ingredients. I particularly got the peanut covered apples from sanfo treats. Bad quality control. the peanuts were still raw.

I hope Czarina’s puts up stores in the malls. You will seee and taste the difference.

Hi Rochelle, I too have purchased from your store also. They’re okay. The prices are reasonable. I’ve been buying from Czarina’s Apples also. I see them always in weddings and debuts. They make tons of them. There prices are more high end though. But people don’t seem to mind because they are so good. I passed by your g4 stall last week and saw your apples. At first I thought it was owned by Czarinas Apples because you have the same products. Even the Frozen Bananas. I asked your saleslady if Sanfo Treats and Czarina’s were one. She didn’t know anything I assumed. What I did was I bought an apple. Again I say, they’re okay. They are at least reasonably priced. I guess that’s why Czarinas are Gourmet apples. That could be the difference. For those asking about caramel apples. You should try Czarinas. I think they use imported ingredients. They use this caramel by Midway. Their nuts are also high end. they use almonds, pecans and walnuts.

I was at sm megamall last week and I was told that Sanfo Treats and Czarina’s gourmet apples were sister companies. They Have the same exact products. I purchased about 200 gourmet apples 2 years ago for my debut. They were such a hit. There’s not a debut among my friends that didn’t have these fancy creations. I just couldn’t confirm at the moment if they are sister companies though. I know the owner of Czarina’s but she is in the states at the moment. I will be getting married in june so I will be placing some orders. The shelf life of these apples depends on the handling of the product. I’ve been to the production place of Czarinas. They export to Japan every other day I think. The owners are Rotarians and they don’t throw these apples away. They have adopted communities and they give them away to the kids there. I wanted to see who was in charge with Sanfo Treats to inquire if they’re one with Czarina’s but she was not there. I really need to see this person because of my upcoming wedding. I want it to be special just like what they made for my friend. What I did was I bought this one apple and noticed some difference. I don’t know how they can sell this so cheap. I see how they make this at Czarina’s. They really use imported ingredients. The caramel is so good. I saw a can of Midway but I saw someone cooking caramel in the back. I think their’s are also home made. I can’t tell the difference. They taste so good. Their ingredients are expensive. back to Sanfo Treats. After buying the apples, ther are so many difference. Czarina’s caramel is very thick. They don’t separate from the apples unlike Sanfo’s. By the the time i got to my car they fell apart.gdap

What a coincidence Sheila. I was just browsing around looking for caramel apples. I’m going to be a june bride also. I made a boo boo. I attended a wedding last september and was given this apple as giveaway. Unfortunately I didn’t keep the packaging. All I know is the name Czarina’s. But I didn’t know how to get in touch with them. I was told by a friend that Czarina’s is now called Sanfo treats. I hurriedly went to Glorietta and finally found the place. They looked the same as the one that I got from afar but when you observe very closely they’re different. Cheap though. I decided to giveaway mini cakes instead. May I get the contact person and numbers of Czarina’s for future reference?

I don’t think they are discrediting Sanfo treats. It’s probably the same company. sanfo just happen to cater to the masses and czarinas to the higher end. as far as I’m concerned, an apple is an apple. Mabuhay sila pareho.

I beg to differ. Sanfo Treats is not the same company as Czarina’s apples.

Not only does Sanfo treats “cater to the masses”, but they also have higher end caramel apples for those who want to spend a little bit more. Go to a kiosk and ask one of their staff for their “Premium apples.”

The reason why I stated that they are trying to “discredit” Sanfo Treats is because of the negative comments made to Sanfo Treats, then they go around praising Czarina’s for their gourmet apples – ALL in the same paragraph.

Why can’t they start their own blog about Czarina’s, and leave Sanfo Treats alone!

I was in Manila in January this year to visit family and friends. I had the opportunity to taste SanFo Treats and boy, was I impressed.

I loved the caramel apples and frozen bananas so much! I placed the apples in the fridge and sliced them up before I ate them—-that’s the way to do it, folks!

I have a sweet tooth and I’m used to the ones sold at Pier 39 in San Francisco and Disneyland. I tried the Fuji and also the Granny Smith versions at SanFo and frankly, they were both great!

The Granny Smith caramel apples are what Americans like me are used to, but it did not prevent me from loving the Fuji ones with those yummy different toppings. By the way, the caramel stuck to the apples and didn’t come off when I was eating them.

Using Fuji apples was a very creative and innovative twist to the original caramel apple and I applaud SanFo Treats for tailoring some of their products to the taste of most Filipinos. It’s funny how some Filipinos who blogged above were adamant about using only “imported products” when apples are imported in the Philippines. No one can grow apples there, what with the tropical heat and humidity! Even the caramels are imported.

I became a huge fan of Sanfo Treats that I ordered a lot of them and gave them away as gifts, especially to my dad’s and sister’s doctors and nurses at St. Luke’s. They all loved it! One of them said that he didn’t want to eat it because it looked too beautiful to eat! I also ordered a bouquet of colorful caramel apples, which the owner, Rochelle, placed in a basket for me and wrapped in cellophane to give to a good friend. I was so happy to see such a wonderful work of art and my friend was most delighted to receive such a unique gift.

When I go back to Manila in the near future, I will make sure that I visit SanFo Treats and eat my caramel apples and frozen bananas with a Filipino twist. In the meantime, I’ll continue to order from Rochelle who will deliver them for me as gifts to the people I care for there. Thanks, Rochelle and Sanfo, for making my gift giving a lot easier, more affordable, and wonderful!

wow, I never thought that that one meeting with lori would spur a lot of blogs from a lot of people, good or bad, thanks… To the people praising Czarina’s apples, good for you, I do beleive that you are big fans of their products, I just hope that as Filipinos, we also learn to praise other people for their efforts, I will not say bad things about the competition because, I will tell you this… making caramel apples is very very hard, trying to make them affordable is even harder. You will not hear me telling people that I am better, our products are better, I will tell you that we are different. Let’s show the rest of the world that we don’t have to bring other people down to raise ourselves up… right!?! If people want to taste our HIGH END GOURMET versions, please go to HOBBES AND LANDES in BONIFACIO HI- STREET, beside SERENRDA(they carry our brand) if that’s not high end enough for you, I don’t what else is. We supply them our super premium line, almond and hazelnut combinations, walnuts, fantastic meltdowns, low-fat granola balls and so on… If still undatisfied, we have special apples that are even spiked! We use swiss chocolate for this ( I used to stay in Switzerland ) so I do have suppliers that I get chocolates from- but these have to be specially ordered.

Telling us that our apples are “low – end” is a very sad statement, when I was pricing the apples, I could have just amped up the price to show that “I am gourmet, I am for the rich only” aren’t people glad that my margin is very low so that the treat that I love so much can be tasted by everyone? We could double the price, no problem, but would I want to do that, I’m afraid not. As for the apples being for the masses.. hey, why exclude them, that’s so bad!!!!!! some of my customers, would save their P50 to buy an apple instead of a P39 meal in Jollibee, that’s the biggest compliment… Let’s not shut the “masses” out. Caramel Apples are for everyone, from our super dooper to the extreme max (he he) premium knee- slappin super expensive ( I could buy a car with that) caramel apple, to our simple yet good, ever popular classic line. It’s there for everyone. Good luck to everyone starting abusiness, may it be a similar product or something else. Thanks for the support, for the people that love our products.. we love you back!

Dear Rochelle I know the owner of Czarina’s personally and I told her about this blog site and she was saddened and embarrased. She would like to express her apologies for any offense or sorrow it might have caused you. She knows how hard it is to start any business especially ones that need extra tender loving care. I agree with you. It is not easy to make these caramel apples. Looking at both your apples, I know it came from the heart.

It is not true that Czarina’s only caters to the high end market. It just happened that their client have specific orders that requires really expensive ingredients that has to be imported. They inherited these Japanese client from a Former caramel apple maker here also some years back. They also make these apples at affordable prices for other markets.

When I told the owner of Czarinas about Sanfo treats she was excited. She doesn’t see this as a rival but a welcome sign that filipinos are in for a treat. The market is so big. Look how many starbucks, jollibees, pizza huts there are but they still survive.

Don’t feel too bad Rochelle. You’re doing great. The owners of Czarina’s are a young couple trying to come out with ideas also to be able to share to filipinos.

they are out of the country at the moment but would like to express their apology to you personally. They will try to get in touch with you as soon as they come home.

They hope that one day they could meet with you and discuss how to make this a better industry. If we can consider this an industry already. I assure you being their friends that they mean no harm. As a matter of fact they want to cut short their trip just to mend things. They want to create friends not enemies. They are also supporting you 100 %. Because some people don’t know how difficult it is to make these apples.

To anyone who was also offended with earlier blogs. Czarina’s owners wishes to express their sincere apologies. Mabuhay ang Sanfo Treats!! and the filipino entrepreneurs.

i’m very satisfied with the quality of the SanFo Treats apples, and I’m glad they took the risk in making the great tasting treats available to the wider market / the public here in the philippines. i sure do hope that they stay in the market and even grow in it… hey, i wouldn’t have been able to enjoy something i loved so much in the states had it not been for their coming out in the market here. now, i can get those treats from several places anytime i want to.

it’s just funny reading the comments above… i just don’t understand how somebody else can convince me to think that what i truly enjoy isn’t good by saying bad things about it… let’s be constructive people. let’s tell people what they are good at or what they can improve on. if we just keep on telling people /companies nothing but bad things about themselves, who else would be willing to bring in something we all love from another place?

also, if you think that you had such a great thing to begin with, where were you? why mud-sling now?

Hello, greetings from the west coast… one thing I want to say… shame on you czarina’s apples, using other people’s 15 minutes of fame to post your “advertising” .Three consecutive blogs on how ” great ” you people are, that’s all for show!!!!It’s just down right dirty.

I love caramel apples, been havin them for so long, here in the US, we have a lot of shops that have a variety of flavors but certainly not as nicely designed as Sanfo’s. Let’s give Rochelle a break and see that she atleast brought it to you in the Philippines. My uncle told me that it’s the only store that carries the product… if czarina’s was so great, how come after all these years they still don’t have a store, well, it’s probably because their ” high- end ” stuff is due to the fact that they can’t make their operations efficient. It’s not just about the ingridients right? If Rochelle says she also uses Swiss chocolates, I can somehow understand that it might not sell as fast as the less expensive ones, so, it being a business, the gal probably needs to sell those instead of the expensive ones in the commercial stores. Hey, I know alot of cheap rich people, believe me, they would get the P50 ones than the expensive kind.

I just really get annoyed at people that can’t take competion… resorting to discrediting other people. I also have a business and I know how it feels, shame,shame on Czarina’s. It annoys me so much as to tell people not to get anything from them, oh yeah I forgot, they don’t have a store he he he.

much much luck to Sanfo treats, be glad that Rochelle’s answers are educated and Christian like, if I were you Rochelle, I would tell them off! Don’t allow them to take the credit off of your endeavor… they obviously don’t deserve it. Advertising so blatantly! It could very well have been an infommercial! Yuck! Yuck!

The Philippines is so big, caramel apples are not like tv sets, once you get one or two, you keep it for years before you buy another one, it’s caramel apples for god’s sake! I bet there is always room for more dessert in anyone’s stomach.

Again, Czarina’s stop putting your infommercial, it just makes reading all the blogs all that creepy! shame on you again!

Hi Rochelle! I’m sorry too. I’m one of the few who commented on this site. I didn’t mean any harm also. I’m sorry if I offended you. I realized myself how difficult it was to make this apples. I tried making caramel yesterday but whatever I do it burned. That’s why they are expensive considering it’s just an apple. I guess it’s just not an apple after all. I hope I didn’t make any ripple. I too am an busineewoman and I know the birth pains of any business. So I salute you and Czarina’s for contributing to the filipino economy.

After reading that message on top of mine I felt bad. I hope you Rochelle and the owner of Czarina’s become friends after all this.

One more thing, the comments that Sheila wrote ………..Yuck and again Yuck! you obviously don’t own a business, milo was right in saying that all you’re doing is mudsling. Plus giving away your SECRET ingriedient.. the Midway brand of the caramel they use… that just plain old stoopid! And you expect to do well in business… ha ha ha dream on! Please, tell your friends this as well, if you write a blog, and expect people to beleive that it’s authentic, don’t write it all consecutively, space it out atleast a few days, not a few minutes. I see you name, jeffrey and lucy in like 20 minute intervals. Is this just one person writing an essay on how good you are! YYUUUUUUUCCCCKK!

Please Lori, don’t even entertain the thought of having these people on your site, it’s rediculous.

I can’t resist not to comment. I have my own blog site . That name jeffrey seems to be familiar. We had to declare him persona non grata. We where talking about Kettle corn then and he kept mentioning another kettle corn brand.

Beware of these people they do this in purpose. I’ve been trying to catch this dude for some time now. This is his modus operandi. He will do this and then make money for it. How? There are groups who make this for a living. They have access to the DTI. Listing of all new businesses. It’s a demolishing group. They will write all the nasty stuff and then extort money out of you for them to stop.

I opened a bakeshop 4 months ago and this jeffrey guy wrote that there were insects and bugs in my products. I never recovered since then.

you’ve been exposed!!! Hey Rick, good job man, I hope your bake shop does recover completely. These freaks are out to get people who are making an honest buck just to extort money. It was obvious anyway, how they all gathered like a swarm of flies to write the blogs one after the other…

People, beware and beware of the product they are promoting, this could also be a scam, if you order from them, since they don’t have a store, they will try to get your money in advance, and you wouldn’t have a store to go back to to get your money back. They make their caramel apples sound so great… but nothing really to show for. Buyers beware. Hey, see, it back fired on you!!!

Leave the good people alone, move on to an honest way of making money, people already know what your up to, so better beware!

If it weren’t for nobull I would have missed your comment. Just like “Lori”, you need to get a clue….wrong blog site!!!

Why would you ask Czarina’s phone number on the Sanfo blogsite?!? Can’t you find it in the Yellow pages?? Ah, I get it, Czarina’s is not listed. I wonder how they promote their products if their phone number is not on the directory??? Oh I know, its promoted through other people’s blogsite!!!! How smart of them!!!

Wow, after reading the recent comments, it gave me shivers! My God, there are people out there that do these things to starting companies! That’s just not fair. Am a constant reader of Lori’s articles but never really bothered to look or put my own blog… but I guess this is an exception. I own a small bake shop and we see all sorts of cupcakes and rolls, if someone started a rumor about my products, that would affect my sales and morale.

Too bad there are people out there that don’t have anything else to do. I stay up late every night to finish all my baking and it takes a lot of work, I don’t want anyone coming in and bad mouthing my products.

to Sanfo, don’t worry about these guys, anyway, I know that your apples are really good, I got a basket from my friend Sylvia during Christmas. It was too pretty to just eat so it stayed with us till New year’s! It was still in good condition, I put them in the ref. Thanks for putting up in the malls, it’s easier to get the apples now and thank God you didn’t price it like in the states; $3.50 -5 each. It was a luxury item for me whwnever am there, but now whenever my kids want some, they go to the small themselves. My youngest even uses his allowance to buy for his baon.

I hope the person who owns this site is also careful about the people that contribute to the blogs. It could ruin your reputatuion as well. These scammers can and are also using you to get to the hard working people like us. I hope that does not happen.

nice… scammers trying to extort money from hard working, creative people doing their best to earn a decent living… tsk… tsk…

you know, it’s one thing to get comments on “areas to improve on” from sincere consumers and another thing to be blackmailed by these parasitic low lifes.

as responsible and honest business owners and consumers, we should inform companies and the authorities about these shady characters. how will businesses and new products flourish in our economy if we are plagued by these extortionists/scammers? let’s all be vigilant!

to lori (the real one) and to others with their own blog sites: please, please be careful. these scammers, if left to their own devices, will affect the health of your blog site(s)… businesses might become “allergic” to and scared of blog sites… what new stories will we read about and share?

If any of you know the story of Yellow Cab Pizza and Brooklyn Pizza last year you will be surprised. They were victimized by these kind of animals also. They started the same rumor that you are reading. They are being done without the knowledge of the owners. What they do is they write all this nasty stuff to ire both sides. Before it gets out of hand they will call the company and pretend to mediate. For a fee of course.

New companies, may it be food or any product can not afford bad publicity. So they end up paying out. My advice to the future victims. Ignore these son of b——! Good or bad publicity it’s still publicity. Anyways the products you produce will speak for itself.

To the readers of this blog site. Ignore these Ass—! and they will just fade away. Remember there will be no bestsellers if there are no readers.

Let’s be responsible. Our comments are the motivation of these leeches.

To the new business people. Don’t take this as an obstacle but a jump off point to excel more.

Hi there. I was browsing through the net for SanFo Treats cuz I saw the pics in Jenni Ep’s site. Lucky to ahve found this dessert site. And the marvelous pics of SanFo treats too. Can’t wait for the weekend so I can bring my toddler to Glorietta for a choice of the apples.

To Rochelle, thanks for making it affordable. Initially I thought it would be expensive for something that looks as good. I hope you’ll be able to maintain your prices in spite of the increases bound to happen soon.

Last June 23, SanFo Treats owner Rochelle Santiago a.k.a. Mrs. Gerald Javier (they just got married last April thus the business is still under her maiden name) and staff provided a truly splendid dessert corner for my youngest son’s seventh birthday celebration – with candy sprinkled caramel apples using Granny Smiths, Belgian chocolate fountain with an extensive array of dipping goodies, Hawaiian snowcone station with three flavors, apple bobbing games and all. This lavish spread really helped to make the event extra memorable, and my wife and I got a lot of raves from guests for it.

Who would have thought I’d end up as a most satisfied customer of SanFo Treats after a rather unpleasant first encounter with one of their Glorietta store staff (now relieved, I’ve been told). Perhaps because I was level-headed enough to give them the benefit of the doubt and there’s no regrets whatsoever that I did? Take note: the operative term here is BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

To Rochelle: as I’ve mentioned in our last talk, a good product coupled with great service will speak for itself. Just stay unpertubed by the entry of other players in your field – remember, imitation is the best form of flattery. Plus the competition will work to your advantage by giving your product concept more exposure to your target market. Don’t worry about the smear campaign – just do your usual best and let God do the rest.

Besides, you have us your truly satisfied customers to keep them propaganda ghouls at bay, hehe…

Hey folks! Sanfo lover is back to provide some exciting news about SANFO TREATS! They just opened a cute dessert bar/cafe in Ermita.

They are now selling their original and yummy Tea cakes! There are about 6 different flavors to choose from. Two of my favorites are the Rose and Lavender tea cakes! These flavors are truly reminiscent of gourmet cafes in San Francisco.

So folks, please do stop by and enjoy some San Francisco memorabilia displayed in glass cases, sip some coffee or tea and have some delicious treats with your friends and loved ones at SANFO TREATS dessert bar/cafe in ERMITA!!!!

I’m not too familiar with Robinson in Ermita. Is that near Harrison Plaza? I was really pleased with the apple I got from a friend last night so I checked the internet on who’s making this tasty stuff. I thought of giving it to my clients. I work in the bank so I thought it would be nice to give something back to my valued clients. That must be the best caramel I’ve ever tasted. It taste like that kraft caramel cubes. My friend said he bought it in your branch in Alabang filinvest mall. The problem is that I live in Malabon. I heard the traffic is bad in Alabang so I think it is best to get it in Robinson in Ermita.

Can I buy these in bulk? You think they have discount for multiple orders? And do they have these available all the time? I really love those golden caramel apples with nuts on them, even though my uric acid level is high.

The problem is there was no packaging already when my friend gave it to me. It was sliced and on the plate already when she gave it. I don’t know their contact number. She just said she bought it in alabang.

I know. They are yummy. and I like the color especially of their caramel . It was golden and very shiny. Too bad I didn’t see it as a whole, since it was already sliced up. Are they expensive? I wonder how much their most expensive item is? I do hope they have bulk purchase discount.

May i have their contact number? I want to buy over the weekend. Tnx again

for those who are concerned bout food ethics…
went to the be fabled place of sanfo yesterday about 3pm, and saw two ladies buying their original caramel apples.
But as we three, together with my companions were gazing at the extraordinary displays at the glass showcase, we saw a little creeping black thing.
Oh my god!!! xclaimed by me, it was a baby COCKROACH!!!
And it was happily exploring the most glorious apple I saw.
Where is the sanitary standard we hope to see and the owners must be responsible for these.
Sorry, for this comment but I really feel sad about sanfo.
Yours truly,
Alona A

Really,
just new in this website, what are you talking about?
Cockroach? on food?
what is the matter with the people at sanfo?
does the owners know this?
Maybe they have to check their sanitation, or their cabinets.
Unlike the one I saw in Alabang, forgot the name.
But they use a big chiller, maybe it’s an additional expense for the guys at sanfo but
shouldn’t they consider. although the store at alabang put a price to their apples,
I think it’s well woth it.

I heard this similar “cockroach” story for another business. It actually hurt this poor guy’s business. Imagine, someone so hardworking gets his business ruined by people who don’t have anything better to do but scare other customers away.

The only thing I feel sorry for is how some people try to drag SANFO TREATS into the mud.

Talking about another Caramel apple store in Alabang? Are you sure you are not just trying to advertise it and in the process try to ruin another person’s business by making up stories??

Anyone who owns a food business in any of the Ayala malls as well as other malls will know the strict standards each mall upholds when it comes to food.

Rochelle herself stated that the Robinson’s Galleria and Ermita malls have general inspections of each establishment twice a day. Other malls do it once a day. Every week, the malls are fumigated to prevent any “unwelcome guests” from entering the establishments. Aside from having this general inspection, SANFO TREATS staff do a rigorous inspection of the display cases regularly each day to make sure there are no “unwelcome guests” in them. Aside from this rigorous daily clean up and inspection ritual, SANFO TREATS has a cleaner come in once a week to do another clean up of the place.

Rochelle goes on to say that if the SANFO TREATS business itself is not clean, they will never get any Sanitation permit from the cities they have their businesses in.

If the SANFO TREATS kiosks and Dessert Bar could only shine like silverware, you will find them very shiny as they are being kept really really clean!!!

Just wanted to share this valuable piece of information before anyone passes judgement on SANFO TREATS sanitation practices!!!

A friend of mine told me before that there is a group of individuals out there who prey on vulnerable people, people who like to believe in juicy gossip rather than find out facts behind the story. He had a bake shop that suffered from the hands on these terrible people. They said that his cakes had insects and bugs. It really hurt his business because the culprits made it sound so real. even stating in their blogs the exact time, the exact location of the bugs and the exact flavors of the cakes. It made for really good fiction, but in reality, he did do his homework and made sure that everything was clean. But, his business already suffered. I have been an avid fan of Sanfo even from the start and even hired them to produce 600 caramel apple giveaways for our company. I drop by their store everyday to get my share too! I’ve never seen cockroaches. That’s really terrible, I want them to stay in business because the store in Alabang (and yes, I too have forgotten the name) is just way to expensive and the variety is just not all that great. I love the fact that they brought back a great childhood favorite. To the people who are believing all of the gossip, please, let’s just hope that you don’t fall prey to these people the next time around. It’s just plain old karma.

this is indeed scary stuff for the owners of sanfo. i mean, people trying to say bad things about them. remember the time when a lot of people made up stories that the burger patties of jollibee were made of worms? they called them worm burgers, right? those were crazy accusations… i just hope that sensible consumers see right thru this…

to sanfo, just continue providing your yummy treats. i’ve been a loyal customer since the beginning.

it’s just funny and unfortunate that these stories would come out when new players come in the scene.

Hey this is scary. I’ve bought from sanfo treats before. I hope this is not true. I wouldn’t be surprise if is true though. That is food. Bugs seem to know how to get to them. Well heck I leave a small piece of cake and when I come back in less than 5 minutes you could see swarm of ants. I’ve seen roaches on food shelves before. All I know is that it is not intentional that these critters get in them.

Why not check all your branches if it is true. I didn’t read which branch this supposed roach was seen. If it is true. I wish their is no cover up. What is sad is that when we get criticized we seem to be always defensive and blame the competitors. I live in alabang. I was at at the festival mall last grandparents day and bought caramel apples from the so called competitor. I wouldn’t dare mention the name of their store because I might be accused of advertising them. They are expensive. But I wouldn’t mind paying a little extra for something to give to a special person.

Oh c’mon bubbles, I can’t believe you said that the variety wasn’t that great. I saw about a hundred different designs in their chiller. The size of the apple itself is something to argue about. Those were huge. I swear to god the nuts they use are superb. Sorry I couldn’t afford 600 apples. I did buy 12 of them. P 2,400 for 12 special people was worth it.

There are scam artist out there. This would not be the first time.

For the benefit of your costumers though, there is no harm in checking out this story. It could be true.

This is shocking. Do you still remember me? I went to your branch in galleria instead of ermita and bought the caramel apples I asked you about. the staff there seemed to be new. She said that it just opened. I didn’t see any unwelcome guest there but the sight I saw was rather unpleasant though. The apples were not a pretty sight. The toppings were falling off. Most of the apples were not totally covered with caramel. When I asked the saleslady, she just shrugged her shoulder. I bought the one that I thought was white chocolate, it turned out to be marsmallow. The caramel inside was not as I expected. It was dark. I was expecting it to be golden brown. It was very dark brown and sugary. I know caramel is sugar but it was very grainy.

Why was not the apple totally covered with caramel? is there a purpose for this?

I was with my friend last tuesday and he took me to the place where he bought the apples. I too would not like to mention the store name. There apples are big.I mean very big. They were chilled. I asked their salesperson why it was chilled. he said that this was to ensure freshness. He further explained that unlike in the states where it is not that hot, it may not require refrigeration. Their apples are totally covered with caramel. Again I asked why this is totally covered? He said that this is covered to prevent the juice inside the apple from seaping out. Makes sense.

The bad part is the price. They were a little pricy. P80 – P 200 I think. They even had jumbo, I mean jumbo apples there. I forgot to ask how much they were because they were already reserved. I presume they could be 250 or more. they were the size of a queso de bola.

Is this site for sanfo only? I want to know because I might be banned from writing here. I’m not trying to praise the other but they were nice. Their designs are very creative. Very colorful. I appreciate both stores for coming out with this stuff. They are work of art. They even had that cute bride and groom setup. The apple in tuxedo. It was funny. Again it was a little expensive. But i agree. What is a few extra peso for someone special. This thing is unique. It must be hard to make. I asked the sales person how they make the caramel stick to the apples, he just shrugged his shoulders. What’s with the shoulders?

I will still buy from sanfo treats of course because alabang is too far. according to them, they are opening 3 branches simultaneously probably in october. Nothing to worry about. Sanfo already has a following.

Seems like this forum is getting active again. And to think that I just bought a caramel apple from SanFo Treats today. Now I’m curious about the competitor in Alabang. Edwin: You can write whatever you like in the comments section. This blog isn’t just for any one establishment — it’s open to all.

Tnx Lori. I’m glad you have an open mind. I don’t want to be pelted with stones. I’m just glad there are alternatives. It is not right for any company to monopolize any product or services. Imagine how cheap electricty would be if meralco haven’t monopolized the distibution of power.

Same as you, I was curious. I bought apples from Sanfo Treats and I bought apples from the one in Alabang. One is affordable and the other pricy. They have similar core. An apple. The size is very different. One is small and the other is huge. One is in the shelf and the other is refrigerated.

Isn’t it nice to have a choice? If I want an affordable apple I go to the one store and the more expensive one, to the other store.

People have different taste. You might like it or you may not. At least I’m glad I have a choice. To the patrons of Sanfo treats, I’m also one of you. To the future patrons of the other store. I’m one with you also.

Like I said, ALL the SANFO TREATS kiosks and Dessert Bar in various malls go through rigorous cleaning and inspection by the SANFO TREATS staff as well as the mall staff. THEY ARE ALL CLEAN!!!

No one is stopping anyone from going to the other store in Alabang. You are free to do whatever you want. It just sounds out of place to talk about it in a SANFO TREATS write up. It sounds even worse when “cockroaches” are involved!

One could interpret a criticism as a form of advertisement for another business when one criticizes an establishment and at the same time give praises to another with the same products sold.

I find it extremely funny that you actually believed what the salesperson in that other store said about the reason why their apples are totally covered in caramel— “so the juice doesn’t seep out”.

The juice will never seep out of an intact apple because God gave it a protective layer of skin. So no amount of caramel is necessary to protect the apple’s content. Furthermore, the skin keeps the apple fresh once its picked from the tree. It is true that through refrigeration you can delay the aging process of the apple but you know what SANFO TREATS found out…. customers don’t like it chilled as it hurts their teeth! They actually tried to chill their apples but alot of customers complained about this.

And even in San Francisco where it can get hot particularly in the summertime, yes it does get hot (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in San Francisco, the Caramel Apples are happily sitting in their shelves unchilled. And nobody is yelling “The apples are rotten!”

So it is really NOT NECESSARY to chill an apple to enjoy it. Just make sure to have it sliced at the SANFO TREATS counter to check the status of the core. You all know that just like human beings, apples sometimes have ailments too.

To the SANFO TREATS customers, continue to enjoy their products! SANFO TREATS loves you back!!!!

I’m sorry. I forgot to be more specific with the seaping out thing. The salesperson said that to avoid juice to seap out of the apple from the puncture hole made by the stick poked thru the apple, they cover it with caramel. I’m sure juice will not seap out of the apples skin if there was no puncture made. To sum it all up. Theyseal the hole with the caramel.

I don’t want to argue about the refrigeration thing. I’m just happy that there is an alternative. If I want non chilled apples, I will buy from Sanfo if I want it chilled I will get it from the other store. It’s just that simple.

SANFO TREATS CARAMEL APPLES have their apples poked by sticks as well and they never had a problem with the “juice” seeping out of them. I don’t think that is ever a problem unless the apple itself has too much water content .. which is NOT A GOOD THING for the apple to have. Too much juice/water in the apple causes it to rot easily.

That store may need to check the water content of their apples if the juice is seeping out.

Like you said, it’s as simple as buying the caramel apple from another vendor who serves it chilled. And if you would prefer the unchilled caramel apple, then buy it from Sanfo Treats. If you don’t like what Sanfo Treats sells, then don’t buy from them.

So what’s the big deal about spending your time in this blog trying to defame Sanfo Treats? What do you have against them? You sound like you’re involved with the “chilled caramel apple” competitor from Alabang!

Why not promote both vendors? That’s the problem with Filipino Crab mentality nowadays; you see someone or something rise up, but Filipinos pull it down! If we promote both vendors, won’t that be good for our economy?

If you don’t like it, buy it somewhere else. Sanfo Treats is not a monopoly, they just happened to be the first caramel apple store that opened in the major malls of Metro Manila. And yes, hurray for competition, because that’s what democracy is all about.

To all the readers: Try it out for yourselves before believing in what people say. And cockroaches? C’mon, anybody can say that they saw cockroaches even if the story was a lie.

I don’t think you read the whole context of my blog. Did I defame Sanfo? How? Didn’t I say that I was happy that there is an alternative? And didn’t I say that if you want to buy unchilled apples go to Sanfo and if you want to buy chilled apples buy at the other store that you seem to suggest that I am involved with. Have I mentioned the so called competitor’s name?

I don’t think there is any argument about promoting both vendors? I think that is right, but I’m not here to promote or defame, according to you, any store.

And Sanfo lover, tnx for the explanation but how do you check the water content of an apple? Do you squeeze the excess? Or do you inject water if it is not sufficient.

To Madam Lori. Are you sure that this site is not a propriety of Sanfo Treats? I really enjoy sharing my thoughts however some people take it as an attack on a particular establishment.

Read below on what you have stated about the Sanfo Treats in Galleria:

“I went to your branch in galleria instead of ermita and bought the caramel apples I asked you about. the staff there seemed to be new. She said that it just opened. I didn’t see any unwelcome guest there but the sight I saw was rather unpleasant though. The apples were not a pretty sight. The toppings were falling off. Most of the apples were not totally covered with caramel. When I asked the saleslady, she just shrugged her shoulder. I bought the one that I thought was white chocolate, it turned out to be marsmallow. The caramel inside was not as I expected. It was dark. I was expecting it to be golden brown. It was very dark brown and sugary. I know caramel is sugar but it was very grainy.”

I can also say the same thing to the competition in Alabang. But what for? What do you get for spending your time negatively criticizing a vendor whose trying to share the product to the Filipino masses?

Furthermore, you stated: “But please check out cockroach story. Better safe than sorry.” Don’t you think that it’s the shopping centers’ duty to ensure that products that their vendors are selling are safe to consume?

Why not just say: Try it out for yourselves? Instead of being descriptive in what “you did not like”?

Regarding the water core issue, let the other store figure this out. I am sure that they can afford to have researchers of their product.

You really don’t have to mention the competitors name to promote it. In fact nobody has mentioned the name of that store in Alabang but yes, it is being promoted. Nothing wrong with this as long as the SANFO TREATS name is not defamed in the process. You said you would go back to SANFO TREATS right? How can you go back when you criticized their products:

“I didn’t see any unwelcome guest there but the sight I saw was rather unpleasant though. The apples were not a pretty sight. The toppings were falling off. Most of the apples were not totally covered with caramel. When I asked the saleslady, she just shrugged her shoulder. I bought the one that I thought was white chocolate, it turned out to be marsmallow. The caramel inside was not as I expected. It was dark. I was expecting it to be golden brown. It was very dark brown and sugary. I know caramel is sugar but it was very grainy.” (taken from your previous post)

SANFO TREATS does not own this site. I think that it is insulting for you to insinuate that Lori’s blog and creativity is owned by an establishment. This write up was done for a blooming entrepreneur who does not pay anyone to promote their products.

To you Sanfo Lover. If I seemed to criticize your apples because the toppings were falling off then sorry but it’s true. If I said that an apple was pricy, Isn’t that also criticism? I did mention that the your so called competitors apple’s were expensive.

Like I said before. I have a choice. If I want affordable apples, I will buy from you. If I want to get expensive ones, I will get from, from, from . Whatever.

You are the owner I presume? I’m sorry but I just can’t comprehend how a person could be such a fanatic over an apple or any other product. And seem so much to die for it just to protect it.

Oh no, I am not the owner of the business but only a huge fan of them. I don’t have to explain to what lengths I would go through just to protect it.

And I do doubt your criticisms on SANFO TREATS. I have seen so many pictures of SANFO TREATS CARAMEL APPLES including the one that Lori has in this blog and not a single one of them had any toppings falling off. Maybe you should take a picture next time to make your claim more credible.

You keep telling me that you have a choice. I don’t have any argument against that. So please stop already with your “right to choose” speech. I really don’t need to hear it.

As I was waiting for your reply, I scanned through the earlier messages as far back as 3 to 4 months ago. You seemed to have made a lot of friends he..he..he. I can’t blame you why you seem pissed at me.

Would you have your picture taken not made up? Of course you would probably fix up yourself before a pictorial. That’s no different from burger joints. The burgers on their posters looked so yummy but when the actual stuff comes out? Big dissapointment. It’s all for show. When was the last time you’ve been to your stand and checked out your apples? If you again deny that you are the owner of Sanfo then I guess you haven’t seen the apples lately.

NO matter what you write in this blog, I am still not the owner of the business and I still don’t believe what you said about the condition of the apples.
There have been numerous customers that have enjoyed SANFO TREATS CARAMEL APPLES and I haven’t heard anyone saying that the toppings have fallen off!!! And even if they do which they can because after all, Caramel apples like people, are not perfect, it won’t be the whole display like how you described it.
You should go to their website! Its a beautiful website full of pictures of occassions that they have catered. Didn’t see any toppings falling off there!!!
So again, if you claim that you are with the SANFO TREATS patrons, how can you be so negative about the products??? “All for show, and the sight unpleasant (referring to the apples of course)” If you do go back, you will just appear to be a hypocrite!

I am sure you will reply again to this message just to prolong the argument. Your cause will be useless as you don’t have any reason to write anything of course. I on the other hand only write to protect, promote, and defend SANFO TREATS!

Well, after a few days of leaving this site numerous arguments aroused.
To Sanfo Lover, can you prove you are not the owner? And to Edwin can you prove it too? I think not, but let me tell you this, We 3 people know what we saw.
It was the branch at the Glorietta, the time was about 3pm, there was a snubbish saleslady there. I called her snubbish because I was already pointing to her the apple which got the “BABY” cockroach on top of it but she seemed like she heard nothing.
And there was two ladies infront of the counter and the saleslady was already handing her a wrapped apple which she I presume have purchased. And you know what? I think that those ladies were “palas” or starters because if I’m real customer and heard such a thing. Right there and then, I would return what I have bought and report it to the guards which we didn’t. Because as Sanfo Lover insisted for so many times, it is the mall’s responsibility. So let me put my concern this way. Alarm to the personnel of the Ayala Malls, check the under cabinet of sanfo and maybe, just maybe, you could see: if they haven’t cleaned it out, some traces of the mother bug. Again, don’t say that it is a form of attack. If I want to attack sanfo, I would have taken a video of it and sold it to the owners, maybe for a measly P10,000 pesos or more. Then you could say all the bad things about me.

Why is it so important to you that I need to prove that I am not the owner? What good would that do? I don’t see your logic! And I am not the one who is insisting that it is only the mall’s responsibility to keep everything clean.

I will continue to repeat what I have said before, Ayala malls and other malls as well as the SANFO TREATS staff do rigorous cleaning and inspection of their kiosks. THEY ARE ALL CLEAN!!! The staff clean the shelves, counters, etc every morning and every evening before it closes apart from the daily check up and inspection.

To SANFO TREATS customers, continue to enjoy SANFO TREATS! It is a clean business!

Please continue to support SANFO TREATS. You can do this in so many ways: spread the word, write great things about it in blogs like this, continue to buy their products, enjoy the treats and don’t hesitate to tell Rochelle or Gerald about this, they would love to hear from you.

It will be very disappointing if the business gets destroyed for any reason because the products are great and affordable! It will be a great loss for all the kids who love the treats as well as for those who are kids at heart.

So PLEASE don’t let SANFO TREATS slip away. SANFO TREATS is doing its part to provide CLEAN, CREATIVE and DELICIOUS TREATS. Support it and it will continue to produce great things in the future!

Wow thanks for the info. I was planning to buy apples for my kids birthday but I guess not anymore. It did cross my mind before that why isn’t these apples put in a better place, like a cake display unit.

It’s true what the owner of Sanfo treats said, in the states they just put them in shelves. But honey, this is not the states. They don’t have that much problem with bugs over there. I know this for a fact because houses there are regularly fumigated so the multiplier effect of this bugs are slowed down or bugs are totally exterminated. I assume the shops there are likewise strict when it comes to sanitation. But here in the Philippines, no offense. We know how lax some establishments are.

Sanfo lover, you’re pathetic. It’s obvious you are the owner. Never seen anyone that dedicated and very loyal to one’s country, oops, sorry. I mean apple. By the way who’s Rochele and Gerald?

America also has problems with bugs just like any other country. I don’t know where you get your information from! I happen to know this because I live here!!! And you don’t need to “honey” me, I don’t even know who the hell you are!

Yes it is true that the problem is well controlled in US food establishments but I have eaten in numerous food joints in Philippine malls and frankly, I have not seen any roaches!! I don’t think Filipinos are careless enough to keep their food establishments dirty. I think Filipino food establishments especially in the AYALA malls are much more sophisticated and clean than how you portray them to be.

Oh yeah in case you were not reading Lori’s article on SANFO TREATS, Rochelle and Gerald are the owners of SANFO TREATS!

By saying that some establishments are lax with sanitation, well you are basically saying that malls like the AYALA malls are lax in sanitation. I don’t think this is going to fare real well with the AYALA corporation.

You may be picking a bigger fight than one that you can handle! Word of caution to you!!!

To SANFO TREATS customers, continue to enjoy SANFO TREATS! It has not let you down before!!

Are you threatening me honey? What are you going to do about it? I believe you when you say America also has problems with bugs after hearing that you live there.

If you are not the owner as you say, have the owners given you any authority to represent them?

Who are you to assume that all customers of your store are all satisfied? ( it has not let you down before!! ) Oh please. And you claim to be original? What does original mean? And I thought this apple thing started in America!!! I assume that you know that since you claim that you live there. By the way, where in the states? Connecticut, Annapolis, Madison, street that is in greenhills perhaps?

SANFO TREATS ORIGINAL CARAMEL APPLE got its ORIGINAL name because of its ORIGINAL CARAMEL APPLE DESIGNS made and concocted by Rochelle, herself. The word Original can also mean “unique” or “one of a kind”.

Threatening you? I am just telling you to be careful with your accusations of lax sanitation especially with large establishments like the AYALA malls. Would you like them to be your enemies???

Oh I am really nobody to assume all customers are satisfied, my statements are made towards those who are happy with the products. Those who are not can go somewhere else. SANFO TREATS is not forcing all its customers to enjoy their products. You are free to like it or not to like it, its your choice.

I make these statements not to represent SANFO TREATS owners but to promote, protect and defend the business. Simple as that.

One last thing, i still don’t want you to “honey” me. Only my husband calls me that!

“SANFO TREATS ORIGINAL CARAMEL DESIGNS MADE AND CONCOCTED BY ROCHELLE” Do you mean buko pies are also designed uniquely? Everyone here in hot Phillippines claim to be the Original Buko Pie.

How would I be enemies withe AYALA? What are they going to do? BLOG ME TO DEATH? And we’re talking about your space in the mall. Maybe your roaches are well trained. They only come out when the guards are not looking.

You sound like a security guard to promote, protect and defend. Is that your preamble?

As I said before, I only write to protect, defend and promote SANFO TREATS so I will no longer respond to your illogical arguments. What for???

Any establishment in the mall is a part of that mall. The mall itself as well as the staff’s establishment are responsible for keeping it clean and orderly. To say that the sanitation practice of one establishment in the mall is lax reflects on the overall practice of the mall. As I said before, the malls especially the AYALA malls uphold strict standards towards the establishments within it. Read my previous post on the Sanitation practices of the malls as well as SANFO TREATS and you will understand.

No AYALA “will not blog” you to death. But you will never know who is reading this.

So what!! I’m scared. Who cares who reads this site. I hope everybody reads it. You’re using this site together with that Edwin guy probably to further promote your product.

The problem with you is that everything that is said about your store must be positive. If you get criticized you get a fit. How great is your product? How many thousands have you sold? You have to be the owner. If you are not the owner, the owner should be notified. You’re speaking for them? I wouldn’t appreciate anyone to represent me without my approval.

Like I said. Your roaches are well trained. They only come out when there’s no guard around. he…he… he…

No, I am still not the owner of SANFO TREATS but I know you wish that I am so you can berate and insult me to death.

No, I am not representing SANFO TREATS when I give facts about their establishment. What I say about them is factual and I am free to talk about it whatever way I want. I will of course talk about positive things about SANFO TREATs as this is what I know about them.

Don’t worry, if I was ever going to represent people, I don’t represent illogical, mean people such as yourself. Roaches being trained? What a statement!!!

i have tried the sanfo treats’ caramel apples and i must say, its really yummmy!!!! 🙂 i got the one with nuts, chocolate n hazelnut and i have the girl slice it! its was really good!!!! i had to go back the next day to buy some more. but only this time, i placed it in the ref 1st before slicing it myself. i must say, its even yummier eaten cold! 🙂 im thinking of getting sanfo treats for my baby’s 1st bday!!! GOOD JOB!! 🙂

dear everyone,
this is gerald javier of sanfo treats. thank you for your comments.

to clarify some matters:
1. we are in constant coordination with all our mall lessors (i.e. ayala, sm,
robinsons, etc.) regarding the sanitation and condition (including the reports
mentioned in the previous posts) of our leased spaces as
they are all very strict when it comes to the cleanliness and image of their
respective malls, and we are one with them when it comes to this. if you have
any issues or concerns regarding this, we will be very happy to address them
ASAP, and we will take them up with the respective representatives of the
malls.
2. with regards to the quality of our products and sales staff, kindly let us know
ASAP if you happen to be happy with them OR not. as mentioned, your
concerns will be addressed ASAP. the business is still very young; nonetheless,
we are very committed to find ways and means to improve our products and
services.
3. we treat this site with the utmost respect. we are not into getting people to
“write” for us nor are we into pretending to be somebody else to lift or to put
down anyone/anything. we are simply glad to be featured in this site. if
there are people who speak up for us or who share their love for our products and
services, we are likewise very thankful to them — they are friends of the
business.
4. we view competitors as opportunities to grow and to improve. we will find ways
to differentiate ourselves and to ultimately satisfy our customers.

Please feel free to contact me. The fastest way is to call me at 6282993 or to drop me a note at http://www.sanfotreats.com as i might not catch your posts here immediately.

Again, thanks to lori and to everyone who has contributed to the discussions.

thanks Gerald, this time I’m sure you are the one of the owners. Yes truly, I say that I saw a little Cockroach at your place in Glorietta, that was about 3~4p.m. Sept. 12, 2007. It was swirling it’s way all over an apple. But sad to say as I was telling it to the saleslady, she was snubbish. Why didn’t she looked at it I don’t know. Maybe because somebody was buying, that’s my point. I thought that you are doing inspections twice a day, but I didn’t saw any of you there. You know it’s much better if you talk to the owners not their representatives because they can’t really decide right away what to do. And to the SANFO LOVER blogger, why is she so protective? Yes, yes, I know she really loves your product, but mind her, we the people knows best. Thank you for your swift response regarding this matter and more power to SANFO TREATS…

You know I was at Glorietta around 4 pm yesterday, September 23, looking at the many selections of caramel apples at SANFO TREATS and guess what, I did not see any roaches! What I saw were rows of beautifully made caramel apples. Each time an apple was bought, the lady kept wiping the area were the apple came from making sure every morsel of sprinkle was wiped away.

I’ve also been such a great fan of Sanfo and even asked the owners if they are already offering a franchise of their store. I really want to set up a booth in MOA. But, anyhow, I love the new flavors, there was even one with a cute tiara. I think it was called cinderella. aptly named. It was so cute and they combined two of my favorite colors, purple and pink. I think I’ll get that for my next birthday party. I was also recently at a friends party where my inaanak had her 1st birthday and Sanfo was also there. They had such a gorgeous spread. The 3 fountians were so yummy. I’ve never seen a pink, white and milk chocolate fountain combination before. They even had a cute pink arch with teddy bears hanging . It was dreamy. i wonder how they come with such cute ideas. Form the stores, the decor, the products, the designs… am excited to see what they have to offer for halloween. This is how the caramel apple started by the way. I bet i’ll see some really fancy designs. I just love it!!!

Good luck to you guys, more power. I love your concept, I love that your products are so affordable and I love that am able to get your treats here in the Philippines. You guys are truly unique. I think next to Sanfo lover, am the next biggest fan.

I’ve been a sanfo treat customer for sometime now and been very satisfied so I was really curious of the competition. I went to Alabang festival mall last weekend to see for myself. There it was, Czarinas gourmet apples. There were a lot of people crowding their display chiller. It was different. It was almost empty. I saw 3 employees of shakey’s pizza carrying about 4 dozen of those apples to pixie forest for a birthday party. A few minutes later, I saw staff of Czarinas coming to their kiosk to freshly replenish their display cabinet. My eyes nearly dropped when I saw the apples. They were really unique. You wouldn’t see a similarly designed apple. Each one is a work of art. My eyes nearly popped out again when I saw the prices. They were expensive. But people did not seem to mind. They were selling like hot cakes.

They have themed apples. They are giving the apples a personality. How they do that, I guess they are the only ones that knows. I personally love their bridal and debut set up. You have to see it to appreciate it. They even have corporate designed apples. The staff said they just got an order for 1000 pieces from a bank. They got bulk prices for bulk orders.

They said they will be opening 2 branches in october and probably 4 more in november. They will be opening in October at the Mall of Asia.

I will still be buying from Sanfo Treats of course because they are more of my price range. I have to admit though, In case I get some extra cash I might be tempted to buy from Czarinas.

I agree with you. The apples at Czarina look better. I guess that’s why they charge more and theirs are chilled. But what I liked most is that they dip on the spot. You get to choose your apple and get it dipped on the spot. Can’t get any fresher than that. Also the apples at Czarina is bigger. Way bigger. I got mine sliced on the spot. You should see how thick the caramel is. Include the chocolate and the toppings, you could say it’s about the size of a small queso de bola.

I bought their best seller. The triple nuts. Almonds,walnut and pecans. It was worth it for 200 Pesos. It is not true that all their caramel apples are expensive. You could one for 40 pesos. A fairly sized apples. Sliced and then doused with their buttery caramel.

I don’t know why people are getting worked up. This is an advantage for Czarina and Sanfo treats. The apples will be more exposed. There are 18 million people in manila alone. I don’t think Czarina and Sanfo can sell that much apple.

I totally agree with the fact that there are millions of people living in the Philippines. It will take several years for the Caramel Apple business to reach all the Filipinos. The “heatwave” just started. Brace yourself Caramel Apple Business owners!

To the satisfied customers of SANFO TREATS, keep on enjoying their products! There is more to come (direct hint to santa’s little helper! Thanks for being the second biggest fan!!!).

Cheers!! I”m excited already to see what kind of apples Sanfo and Czarinaz will do this coming halloween and Christmas time. All I know is sales will be brisk. I hope they cope with the demands. I myself is planning to give away apples this christmas to my family and friends.

I inquired already for franchising at Czarinas but they declined at the moment. They said that it is very complicated to make these apples. I don’t know how complicated it is to put caramel on apples. Is Sanfo franchising? I’m from bacolod and I would like to bring this there.

The store manager at Czarinas said that it is not that easy to make this apples. Is that true? Why can’t I think of something like this? Anyways I hope that both stores become more successful. I hope they both work together to make these treats accessible for filipinos from aparri to jolo. Parang EAT BULAGA yon ah.

Are you writing to yourself claire? Are you addressing me or Sanfo lover?

I’m with you Sanfo Lover. Walang siraan! We should be happy that there are people doing clean business unlike what we see on tv. Goverment officials stealing from under our feet. Making money out of nothing at all.

It’s always hard thinking what to give someone on christmas . These apples will be great. Something new. Something unique. Hurray for the people who came up with this. Is this original from the Philippines?

I bake as a hobby. It’s true that it’s hard to make caramel apples. I even bought one from Sanfo Treats and peeled away and tried to see how the caramel was made. I tried so many recipes but just couldn’t make it stick to the apple. It always slips off. I don’t know what ingredients they put in the caramel to make it stick. I hope not super glue. Just kidding. My hats off for the people who make these treats. I saw Czarinas apple last saturday at QTV and I know that guy who made the caramel did not show the real ingredients. He mixed up the caramel ingredients so nobody can copy it. It was edited to show the finish product already.

I too am interested in franchising, but I don’t think they are at the moment. I talked to the store manager of Czarinas also and he said that at the moment they are still studying the proposals. He just said it is complicated. He can supply us with the caramel but what about the designs? For the mean time, I will still try to make caramels that will stick to the apple.

The Caramel Apple is not originally from the Philippines. The idea came from America when this Kraft salesman thought of other ways to use Kraft caramels. But just like any other great idea, it gets spread around! But speaking from a pinoy point of view in America, mas magaling pa rin ang pinoy sa Caramel Apple designs at iba pang bagay! Wala man lang art yung apples na nakikita ko dito! And I have gone to several Caramel Apple stores already.

The Caramel Apples will certainly make great gifts for Christmas and any other occasion!

It would be great if all the Filipinos could eventually try the Caramel Apple. It is such a delicious and nutritious treat! It would be nice if the Caramel Apple business owners can figure out ways to expand to other areas of the Philippines. Maybe in the near future, I hope.

Hey Claire, keep enjoying the Caramel Apples. Its people like you, santa’s little helper and other Caramel Apple fans who sustain the awesome Caramel Apple business!

You’re not in the Philippines? My question is, is it really complicated to make? I really do want to learn how to make them. Not commercially of course but for additional knowledge. I’m really amazed with these apples. The designs I saw are really, really nice. I haven’t been to America so I don’t know what they look like over there. All I heard from the store manager at Czarinas that some apples there cost up to $30.00 each in the states, the fancy one’s I guess?. They buy that there? Do you think they teach how to make caramel apples here in livelihood classes?

I think the most expensive ones that I have seen were in Las Vegas. They cost about 7 dollars. They were also huge but the designs were simple.

I think it is tedious to make the Caramel Apples especially the designer ones. I tried making it at home using melted chocolate and some coconut and almond slivers. It was messy to make but fun! Caramel is very hard to make from scratch as it is temperamental. Easier to use ready made Caramel chips for home use. There really isn’t any rule to how the Caramel Apple should look like, it should just taste good.

It would be great if people start teaching how to make Caramel Apples even just the simple ones, really fun to do at home for the family.

I thought you should know that this website:http://www.ritzyreasons.com/ is stealing your pictures! She has also stolen some of mine, and I thougtht everyone that she has stolen from should be made aware. Have a great day

i was just at their new and improved location… and i have officially fallen in love with fried candy bar!!! it was heavenly… all my fave desserts in 1 concoction. and i don’t mind having one everyday… that’s if i don’t mind not having a waistline. hahaha! cheers to you!!!

Hi. The last time I’ve eaten a caramel apple was almost 6 years already. Upon seeing this, it brought back a lot of memories. I can’t remember the name of the store but I bought some caramel apples in Festival Mall. It was a great experience being able to try them but sadly, when I decided to go back there, the store is gone. So now, I’m on my search for other caramel apples.

What are other stores selling caramel apples? I mean, I want to try Sanfo badly but it’s kind of far. Hoping that there are other branches or other stores in other places. Thank you in advance! 🙂